Niskala Bali: Creating Environmentally-Friendly Ceremonies
Niskala Bali, an organisation on the island, is taking charge in the fight against post-ceremony waste in Bali. Offerings can be seen everywhere in Bali. Tiny coconut leaf baskets (canang sari) of rice, fruits and flowers are presented in front of every house, office, in the temples and shrines, and even on the dashboards of cars.
Uniquely Bali: Creating a Balinese Business
There are so many things “right” about Bali, even in its current state of “perpetual preparedness” for the expected big bang from Mount Agung, but I do just want to reflect a little on not the encroachment of “western culture” and values on Bali but the attitude which so many of these bringing it to
There is a Reason for Everything
The last few months have been a very bad time for Bali. The eruption of sacred Mount Agung while not actually endangering any major part of the island’s tourism industry, still reduced it to a devastating trickle, threatening businesses and more importantly jobs as cash flows reduced to unsustainable levels. Introduce the word “sustainable” here
Eco Bali: The Solution to Bali’s Waste Crisis
Indonesia has now become the world’s second-biggest contributor to plastic waste in the oceans. This island is facing the alarming issue of waste disposal with shorelines laden with refuse, which is washed up every day when the tides come in. Communities are struggling to deal with the volume of waste, and even high-end hotels now
New Years Resolutions: Getting Better All the Time?
What have you achieved this year? Have you become more environmentally friendly? Have you become fitter, faster or better at something? Have you done something you are really proud of? Helped poor people? People in difficulty, people in crisis, people in hospital? Have you been a good father? Mother? Sister? Brother? Son? Daughter? Are you
Bamboo Bikes: Helping to Reduce Poverty in East Bali
Ban Village in Karangasem, East Bali, has the distinction of being one of the largest villages in Indonesia. With 7,200 hectares, all 19 of Ban’s sub-villages lie within 12 kilometres of the Mount Agung crater. All together the area is home to more than 3,500 families all of whom were forced to flee their homes
Refill Bali: Saving Bali One Bottle at a Time
Bali is an island that tourism has impacted in a myriad of ways. Over 5 million travellers visit this island every year, staying in for at least 2 or 3 days. During these days, they will need to buy bottled water to support their daily activities. Now, this is the ugly truth. The lack of
The Importance of Food
I was recently lucky enough to be introduced to a Swedish initiated but worldwide foundation called “EAT” which is dedicated to creating a global sustainable food economy. A huge ambition. This foundation, which is backed by world leaders, academics and top companies, is about to have their first Asian Conference in Jakarta as I write
Bali Pink Ribbon: Early Detection Saves Lives
Until recently, major studies regarding breast cancer amongst women was limited to the developed countries. However, recent past studies have indicated breast cancer as one of the most common type of cancer in the female population in Asia-Pacific, particularly Indonesia accounting for almost 18% of the cancer diagnoses. Based on the International Agency for Research
Joining Bali Sports Communities
Sports Clubs are excellent facilities for people within a community to engage in recreational and competitive programmes that not only teach them discipline and teamwork but also help develop their personality in the long run. By participating in a wide range of sport events, the people in the community develop camaraderie through common interests. JimbarRUN
Killing the Golden Goose: When Development Should Stop in Bali
There are some things that perplex me, some that annoy me, others that leave me totally astonished, and finally those that seem to make no sense whatsoever. The latest “Canggu Conundrum” is one. I have long been a student of tourism development and served on two planning committees of Indonesian tourism and spoken at around
The John Fawcett Foundation Brings Sight Back to Bali
The quality of life for people in Indonesia is reduced as blindness plays a major hinderance in their normal living. This country is indeed suffering from such problem. World Health Organisation data has raised an alarm and states that every single minute in Indonesia sees a person go blind due to the poverty and weak
Do You Hear That? It’s Another Form of Pollution
The people of Bali are quite rightly concerned about the amount of waste that is accumulating, not only in the municipal dumps (which are turning into mountains!) but also on the river beds, the beaches, the fields, the mountains, its everywhere and continues to spread as consumerism and the conversion to plastic-packed foods continues apace.
